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The X Factor is a British television music competition that seeks new singing talent through public auditions. Simon Cowell created the show, which debuted in September 2004 and has since aired annually from August/September until December. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's Thames and Cowell's production business SYCOtv. It airs on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and TV3 in Ireland, with a spin-off behind-the-scenes show called The Xtra Factor airing on ITV2. It is the creator of the international The X Factor series. The X Factor was created to replace the hugely successful Pop Idol, which was put on indefinite hiatus following its second season, primarily due to Cowell's desire to launch a show for which he controlled the broadcast rights. The perceived similarity between the two shows later became the subject of a legal challenge. The title's "X Factor" refers to the indefinable "something" that makes for star status. Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, and Louis Walsh were the original judges. Dannii Minogue joined the panel in Series 4, and Cheryl Cole took over for Osbourne in Series 5 after she left. Cowell and Cole both left after Series 7 to judge the American version of the program, while Minogue left due to commitments on Australia's Got Talent. Walsh was later joined on the judging panel for series 8 by Kelly Rowland, Tulisa Contostavlos, and Gary Barlow, though Rowland declared she would not return for series 9 and was replaced by Nicole Scherzinger. Osbourne later returned in 2013, replacing Contostavlos. Dermot O'Leary, who replaced original host Kate Thornton in 2007, has hosted the show since 2007. The show is divided into stages that follow the participants from auditions until the grand finale. Contestants sang in an audition room in front of just the judges during the first televised audition portion of the show. Beginning with Series 6, auditionees perform on a stage in front of the judges and a live audience. Successful auditionees advance to "bootcamp" and then to "judges' houses," where judges filter down the acts in their category to three or four acts to mentor for the live shows, where the public votes for their favorite acts after weekly live performances by the participants.